Types of Feedback
There are four types of feedback: negative and positive feedback and negative and positive feed-forward.
Types of feedback
Negative feedback or corrective comments concern actions and behaviours from the past: these are things that did not go well.
Positive feedback or affirming comments concern actions and behaviours from the past: these are things that went well and need to be repeated.
Negative feed forward, or corrective comments concern actions and behaviour in the future: these are things that do not need to be repeated next time.
Positive feed forward or affirming comments concern actions and behaviours in the future: these are things that would improve performance in the future.
Although coaches spend much of their time with clients engaged in feedback, the nature of coaching is such that coaches also spent time looking forward and helping clients to visualise and anticipate future actions, behaviours and performance.
Effective coaches understand the value of providing feedback from past events and actions: although they cannot be changed, they provide a rich source of feedback from which lessons can be learned for the future.
Equally, effective coaches recognise the power of exploring the potential impact and consequences of actions and behaviours on future performance. Feed forward aims to help provide insight and understanding of future performance often using projection and visualisation techniques.
Effective feedback (and feed forward)
Effective feedback needs to be:
- Focused on behaviour and actions, not on perceived attitudes
- Focused on behaviours and actions which can be changed
- Based on observation and information
- Based on objective and not subjective criteria
- Given at an appropriate time
- About what the individual did well and what they could do better
- Given in a place and environment in which the individual is comfortable
Feedback on What
Whatever the purpose of the feedback, there are some simple, but important rules that should frame the feedback.
Coaches should not judge, tell or criticise the client from a personal perspective. Instead they should focus on exploring ideas, describing observations and asking reflective style questions.
Focus of feedback
Coaches need to decide what they wish to acknowledge, reward and provide recognition on. It could be to make the client more aware of what they have done or achieved or what they have not done or achieved.
Here are some definite things coaches should do when providing feedback:
Feedback Do’s
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